Device for removing the frangible seal of pharmaceutical vial closures



July 1966 J. M. BASABE 3,262,621

DEVICE FOR REMOVING THE FRANGIBLE SEAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL VIAL CLOSURES Filed Oct. 19, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. John M. Bcsobe ATTORNEY- y 1966 J. M. BASABE 3,262,621

DEVICE FOR REMOVING THE FRANGIBLE SEAL 0F PHARMACEUTICAL VIAL CLOSURES Filed Oct. 19, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .NVE/VTOE. John M. Bosobe ATTORNEY.

3 262 621 DEVICE FOR REMOVING THE FRANGIBLE SEAL F PHARMACEUTICAL VIAL CLOSURES United States Patent 0 John M. Basabe, New York, N.Y., assignor of fifty percent to William L. White, New York, N.Y. Filed Oct. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 404,748

6 Claims. (Cl. 225103) This invention relates to a device for removing the frangible seal of pharmaceutical vial closures. More particularly it relates to a device comprising a punch having a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the seal to be removed and a length not greater than its diameter and a fiat circular supporting plate perpendicular to the axis of the punch to which the punch is fixedly attached, to punch being freestanding on the plate and permitting unobstructed access of a vial to the punch along the axis of the punch without contact with the sides of the vial closure.

Pharmaceutical preparations for injection are commonly supplied in small vials or bottles having a penetrable rubber closure through which an injection needle can be inserted for withdrawal of a dose. The rubber closure is secured to the vial by a foil cap rolled or crimped around a neck flange of the vial. The center portiton of the cap consists of a removable seal partially separated from the remainder of the cap by interrupted arcuate slots terminating in frangible bridges joining the seal to the rest'of the cap.

In use it has been customary for the physician or nurse administering an injection to tear off the seal by inserting a blade through one of the arcuate slots and breaking the frangible bridges by prying up the seal. The seal may then be torn off, thus exposing a portion of the rubber closure through which an injection needle can be inserted for removal of a desired amount of the injectable drug.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and economical device to remove such a seal without the use of a knife or similar instrument and without requiring the use of fingers or finger nails to tear the seal loose.

According to this invention a punch is provided having approximately the diameter of the seal to be removed and length preferably somewhat less than its diameter. It is fixedly mounted on a circular supporting plate which serves in use to prevent too great depression of the vial seal by the punch. The punch is cylindrical; while the contact end or nose may be fiat, it has been found preferable to give the nose a rounded or dome-shaped form.

To remove a seal, the punch is placed axially over the seal and pressed into the vial closure, thus rupturing the frangible bridges securing the seal; the seal then falls free.

It is essential in this operation in order to preserve the integrity and sterility of the vial contents that the main closure of the vial, i.e., the cap securing the rubber closure to the neck of the vial, should not be disturbed. Accordingly, in the present device the punch is freestanding on the supporting plate to permit free access of the vial to the punch along the axis of the punch without contact with the sides of the vial closure, and it is obvious that the shape of the punch is such as not to penetrate the rubber closure.

This essential feature distinguishes the present device from the many devices designed to remove crown caps from bottles. These have jaws or lips adapted to engage the under side of the cap and pull it free-an operation which would be fatal to the usefulness of the present device.

The following description and the accompanying drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the invention, but they are intended to be illustrative only and not to limit the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a simple form of the device having a round-nose punch;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a simple form having a flat-nose punch;

FIGS. 35 are perspective views of the device showing the punch with various mountings;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a conventional vial with which the device is adapted to be used;

FIG. 7 is atop view of the closure of the vial of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a partial section of the closure on line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a partial section on line 9-9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 shows the position of the device-above the vial closure before application to the vial; and

FIG. 11 shows the device after being forced into the vial closure and rupturing the frangible bridges of the seal.

In FIG. 1 a round-nose punch 1 is shown standing free on flat circular supporting plate 2 to which it is fixedly attached. The diameter of punch 1 is substantially that of the seal to be removed from a vial closure; for example, of the order of inch, and its length is less than its diameter. A handle 3 is provided on the opposite side of plate 2 for manipulating the device.

The device shown in FIG. 2 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1 except that it has a flat-nose punch 4.

The device may be provided with various suitable mountings depending on the locale and circumstances of its intended use-whether to be carried in a physicians bag, to rest on a desk or table, to be used in a laboratory or clinic, etc.

In the desk model of FIG. 3 the circular supporting plate 5 is enlarged to form a stable base which may be provided with a heavy rim 6.

For laboratory or clinical use a heavier more rugged stand may be desirable as shown in FIG. 4. The support shown comprises an elongated base 7, a column 8 and an arm 9 overhanging the base 7. A plunger 10 moves vertically with a slidingfit in hole 11 in the outer end of arm 9 and carries at its lower end punch 1 and circular plate 2. At its upper end the plunger is provided with a hand piece 12 and a coil compression spring 13 surrounds the upper part of the plunger hearing at one end an arm 9 and at the other a hand piece 12, thus biasing the plunger in a raised position. Alternatively, a hand lever may be arranged to depress the punch.

A wall model may also be desirable as shown in FIG. 5. Here the punch 1 and supporting plate 2 are afiixed to an escutcheon plate 14 adapted to be secured to a wall or other vertical surface by screws 15.

The method of use of the present device in removing the seal of a vial containing an injectable drug will be clear by reference to FIGS. 6-10. In FIG. 6 a conventional vial is shown having a glass body 20 on which a rubber closure 21 (FIG. 8) is secured by a crimped or rolled-on foil cap 22. The central portion of the top of this cap constitutes a removable seal 23 (FIG. 7) defined by interrupted arcuate cuts 24 separated at their ends by frangible bridges 25. The intactness of these bridges is evidence that the contents of the vial has not been tampered with. The bridges must be broken and the seal removed to permit introduction of an injection needle through rubber closure 21 for removal of a dose. To remove this seal with the present device, the punch 1 is brought up to the seal in alinement with the vial (FIG. 9) and pressed into the closure. The resilience of the rubber closure 21 is sufiicient to permit the punch to be depressed below the level of the cap and thus to rupture bridges 25 without breaking the seal of the rubber closure 21 to the glass; plate 2 acts as a stop to prevent too great a depression of the punch (FIG. 10). When the device is raised, the seal falls free and exposes rubber closure 21 to penetration by an injection needle.

While this operation has been described as a pressure of the punch into the vial, which would be the case with the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, it is obvious that if the device is fixed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the same result is achieved by pressing the vial onto the punch. What is necessary in both cases is a slight relative axial movement of the vial and the punch of the device. The operation of the embodiments of FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 is thought obvious from the figures without further detailed description.

From the above description it will be seen that in all cases the punch 1, free-standing on plate2, permits an unobstructed access of a vial to the punch along the axis of the punch without contact with the sides of the vial closure which contact might destroy the integrity of the vial closure by the contact of rubber closure 21 with the glass of the vial. The integrity of this contact is essential to maintaining the usability of the vial.

- From the foregoing disclosure it is clear that the present device affords an exceedingly simple and economical means for removing the frangible seal of a pharmaceutical vial containing an injectable drug, and that its use is simple and direct, obviating the usual prying and picking to remove the seal.

What is claimed is:

1. A device adapted to removing the frangible seal of a pharmaceutical vial which seal overlies a penetrable means perpendicular to the axis of the punch to which the 4 punch is fixedly attached said plate means being effective to prevent excess depression of the punch whereby the rubber closure would be unduly distorted, the punch being free-standing on the plate. and permitting unobstructed access of a vial to the punch without contact with the sides of the vial closure.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the punch has a rounded contact end.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the punch has a fiat contact end.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the punch and circular plate are mounted on an axial manipulating handle.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the circular plate constitutes a saucer-shaped stand.

6. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the punch and circular plate are afiixed to the lower end of a vertically movable plunger, the plunger being slidably mounted in the horizontal arm of a standard, the horizontal arm being fixedly supported above a horizontal surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,456,344 5/1923 Van Ness 8366O X 1,501,598 7/1924 Hanson 30-16 1,919,711 7/1933 Cutler 30-16 2,495,971 1/ 1950 Iselin 225103 2,554,173 5/1951 Der Alexanian 22051 X 2,567,344 9/1951 Nealley 222-83 X 2,671,577 3/1954 Remington et al. 222-81 X 3,054,544 9/ 1962 Partington 225-93 3,062,423 11/1962 Tomka 225-1 3,074,592 1/ 1963 Stocking 22051 3,186,615 6/1965 Smith a 225-403 3,189,238 6/1965 Sherrill 2251 FOREIGN PATENTS 618,012 4/1961 Canada.

ANDREW R. J UHASZ, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Examiner.

J. M. MEISTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE ADAPTED TO REMOVING THE FRANGIBLE SEAL OF A PHARMACEUTICAL VIAL WHICH SEAL OVERLIES A PENETRABLE RUBBER CLOSURE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A ROUND PUNCH HAVING A DIAMETER APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE DIAMETER OF THE SEAL TO BE REMOVED, A BLUNT END INCAPABLE OF PENETRATING THE RUBBER CLOSURE, AND A LENGTH NOT GREATER THAN ITS DIAMETER, AND A FLAT CIRCULAR SUPPORTING PLATE MEANS PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF THE PUNCH TO WHICH THE PUNCH IS FIXEDLY ATTACHED SAID PLATE MEANS BEING EFFECTIVE TO PREVENT EXCESS DEPRESSION OF THE PUNCH WHEREBY THE RUBBER CLOSURE WOULD BE UNDULY DISTORETED, THE PUNCH BEING FREE-STANDING ON THE PLATE AND PERMITTING UNOBSTRUCTED ACCESS OF A VIAL TO THE PUNCH WITHOUT CONTACT WITH THE SIDES OF THE VIAL CLOSURE. 